I still think that using two word names in a row looks odd, like you're describing a specific type of elm (the one at the river, the one where all the butterflies hang out). I love the name Magnolia, but it adds another tree to the bunch. MagnoliaRiverElm sounds like you couldn't pick which natural feature you liked best. I love the use of Elm to incorporate your family's names, so I'd keep that one. Between River and Butterfly, I guess I like River better. IMOButterfly sounds like a name a four-year-old gives to her Barbie; it also makes me think of Madame Butterfly, who meets a very sad, upsetting end. To incorporate Butterfly, I would still opt for a name with that meaning or connection to butterflies, like Nova or Mazarine. Have you heard the Irish myth of Étaín? She is a princess that an Irish warrior falls in love with. Unfortunately, he's already married and his jealous wife turns Etain into a butterfly. There's a long string of adventures in which she gets reborn a thousand years later and eventually she and her hero are reunited and turn into swans or something. Etain has also been spelled Edain, Aideen, Aedin, and Adaon, and I think any of those would be a great nod to "Butterfly." Plus the part when she turns into a swan makes for a subtle connection to the constellation Cygnus.

Saracita, I think you need to write a guest blog on butterfly names! That was fascinating!

January 22nd, 2012, 02:21 PM

saracita00

Wow, what a compliment! Thank you.

February 13th, 2012, 03:19 PM

supurrkitten

I really love Nova. I had never heard it until our friends in Seattle named their lil grrl that. She is a fierce mix of Chinese and American. Her parents are cool and the name is awesome.Sadly Our son says that is nova's name LOL

Monarch is cool too but husband says it is a boys name. I guess as far as manly butterfly's go that is the manliest ;-)

DS is set on Butterfly if we use it. we have convinced him that it can be her super secret name he gets to call her only.

February 13th, 2012, 03:49 PM

feisty

The Dutch word for butterfly is Vlinder, to me it has a really unique and lovely sound.